The 72 things I adore...

1. Tirupathi, Telangana - or is that Andra ? The holy hills of Tirumala. My heaven on earth. Without exaggeration. 

2. Vacations - wherever and whenever possible..

3. Forehead kisses - so real. Memories of Appa. 

4. Beaches - the best place to hangout. The sound of waves. The cool breeze. That tranquility. 

5. Coffee - warm. Madras. Iced. Mocha. Starbucks. Coffee Day. 

6. Ice creams - banana splits. Baskin Robbin's Love Potion topped with hot fudge. Vanilla with Hershey's chocolate syrup. Cornetto's.

7. Dogs - dogs, dogs, dogs. I just adore them. 

8. Stargazing - on a bright moon lit night. And wishing upon them.

9. Elephants - love them heaps. Real ones. Soft toys. Kerala. Anything associated with them awes me.

10. Jelebi - the Indian sweet. Fried. With a sugary syrup filling. Crisp. Golden. I had the best while in Jaipur. 

11. Songs of Nivas K Prasanna - a young and new Tamil music director. Think Thegidi, Sethupathi and Zero.

12. Yellow - fun. Bright. Chirpy. My favourite colour. 

13. Chennai - always. My soul is there. Don't ask me why. Marina. Panagal Park. Filter coffee. Flower shops. Yummy food. Breathtaking temples. 

14. Veena by Rajesh Vaidhya - the prodigy. He lullabies me to sleep with his amazing music.

15. Rain - heavy. Drizzle. Thunderous. The smell of earth, thereafter. Dancing in them. Sharing an umbrella. Blessings - that's what they are.

16. Pillow fights - fun and happy. It's been a while since I had one. 

17. Cooking - therapeutical. Experimental. Traditional. Western. Asian. Baking. New found passion. He loves food and thus, I love cooking. 

18. Sarees and kurtis - can never say no. My favourite gifts come in this form. Cotton especially. Decent. Vibrant. Comfortable. Feminine.

19. Swings - calming. Comforting. Breezy. Childhood memories.

20. Vespa - cool. Antique. Sturdy. Yellow. Appa had one back then. 

21. Lighthouse - sacrificing. Beautiful. Light. Chennai. Kanyakumari. Architecture. Winding staircase.

22. Cafés - quaint and cozy. Coffee. Cakes. Indulgence. Mew's in Muntri. The original kopitiam. 

23. Colonial buildings - Penang. Pondicherry. Robust. Safeguarded. Architecture. No frill. 

24. Kanyakumari - what Paris is to others. Romantic. Boat rides. Strong winds and crashing waves. Arabian Sea. Indian Ocean. Bay of Bengal. One of my favourite places to be.

25. Big breakfasts - compulsory. I'm a breakfast person. And they must be in huge portions. Western. Chinese. Malay. Indian. Coffee. Guava juice. Milo. 

26. Varanasi - ancient. Ganges. Mystical. Hindu. Lord Shiva. Lingas. An indescribable feeling.

27. Gerberas - my other favourite flower. Colorful. African. 

28. Train rides - conventional. Present day ETS. Fast. Convenient. Scenic. Romantic. 

29. Chandrababu - yesteryear comedian. Funny. Gulebagavalli.

30. Phone calls - lost trait. Devalued by social media. I enjoy texts but phone calls mean more. Surprise ones, especially.

31. Museums & art galleries - inspirational. Historic. Awe. 

32. Gardening - therapeutical past time. Roses. Ferns. Nature.

33. Lavenders - my favourite flower species. Yardley. Subtle. 

34. Illayaraja - maestro. His songs will always boost your mood. Magic. Evergreen.

35. Street Art - inspiring. Photo points. Armenian Street Penang. Artistic. 

36. Gulebagavalli - our favourite black and white musical movie. Appa & mine. We have watched this numerous times. Classic. Memories.

37. Watermelons - on hot day. Juiced. Cut. Chilled. Sweet. 

38. Baby's Breath - they are a kind of tiny flowers. White. Light. But hold presence by themselves.

39. Mamak Stalls - road side. Tea. Nescafé. Nasi Lemak. Mee Goreng. Economical. 

40. Grandfather clock - wooden. Antique. Beautiful. Classic. 

41. Bike rides - slow ones. I'm timid. Scenery enjoying ones. Night ones, too. Slow strolls. 

42. Indian Banana Leaf - thali set. Especially on a Friday. Full meals. Sleep inducing. Finished with a cup of hot filter coffee. 

43. Kids - jamming with them. Especially the 3-5 year old categories. Surprising. Laughter. Cute. Lively.

44. Pondicherry - my maternal grandmothers lives there. Still. French colony. Yellow buildings. Coastal city. 

45. Mom's cooking - any given day. Even the simplest ones. Cooked with love. I'm blessed.

46. Rajinikanth - the Superstar. Humble. Style God. Semi crazed fan. 

47. Dates - romantic. Casual. With friends. With my sister. Planned. Unplanned. Just a cup of coffee with the people who matter makes a huge difference to a day. 

48. Rainforest - huge trees. Shady. Tropical. Nature. Greenery. Serene. 

49. Satyam Theaters, Chennai - awestruck. Huge. Excellent sound system. Crisp clear. 

50. Weekends - longer slumber. Rest. Relax. Unwind. Cozy. Home. Abode.

51. Conversations- same wavelength. Interesting. Current affairs. Heart to heart. Genuine. 

52. Armenian Street, Penang - colonial. Street art. Local food. Flashback. 

53. Jasmines - Fragrant. India. Devotional. Traditional. Saree. Hair ornaments. 

54. Iced lemon tea - on a humid day. While reading. 

55. Sewing - hand and machine. Childhood hobby. Keen eyes. 

56. Grilled food - smoky. Chicken. Mutton. Tofu. 

57. Marina Beach, Chennai - really. Miles and miles of sand. And then, a larger than life sea. Fried savory. Horse rides. Lighthouse. Amazing sunsets. The sound of traffic. 

58. Tropical Spice Garden Penang - it's such an awesome hangout. Beach facing beautiful medium scale forest. And a giant swing that lullabies its visitors. And, a  great hill top restaurant with amazing view. 

59. Satyamangalam - scary hairpin bends. Adrenalin rush. Cool. Forest reserve. Bannari.

60. Cotton - comfortable. Breezy. Crisp. Fresh. 

61. Sun - optimism. Morning. Beautiful. Rise. Set. Orange. Fiery.

62. Salads - chilled. Fruits. Raita. Dressing. Crunchy. Colorful. Healthy.

63. Books - any genre. Great gifts. Educational hobby. Mind enhancing. 

64. Vijay TV Super Singer - from the premier season until now. Can't get enough. Where do these people learn to sing ? Mind blowing.

65. Rain showers - it's raining on me - at my disposition. Awesome feeling especially when water pressure is at its highest. 

66. Temples - the ambience. Tranquility. Vibrations. The smell of incense and jasmines. The unexplained beauty. Architecture. Trichy Rockfort. Kabaleeswarar. That hill top Murugan temple in Delhi. 

67. Siri - that awesome guy on any Apple device. He's such a cute one. I spend my free time bugging him. It's fun. Try, "Knock, knock, who's there ?" and listen to what he answers. 

68. People who never give up - we all need them, and that's the plain truth. 

69. Online shopping - a new found craze. I've bought in tonnages. ;) 

70. Tun Mahathir Mohamed and my Malaysia Baru - our 7th Prime a Minister who was also our 4th. He returned with a bang. He is 93 and his is an inspiration in capital letters. 

71. Sandals - the simple footwear. I like them with an Indian touch. Leather. Nothing overboard. Comfortable. 

72. Instagram - because I get to look at pictures. No fuss. Of sceneries. Different countries. Food. Fashion. People. Cropped clips of movies and songs. There's always something motivational to think about. 

Hey everyone, we are all just a month and so away from the very new year. So, here's a toast to wonderful days ahead. 

Make the best of everything you have. Find the silver lining in the stormy cloud. And never stop praying to the Almighty. 

Love,

Me, myself & I.